Birth Weight News and Research

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Maternal consumption of artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy linked to obesity in children

Children born to women who had gestational diabetes and drank at least one artificially sweetened beverage per day during pregnancy were more likely to be overweight or obese at age 7, compared to children born to women who had gestational diabetes and drank water instead of artificially sweetened beverages, according to a study led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

6 Jun 2017

Advanced maternal age does not increase birth risks, study finds

A number of previous scientific studies have found that among mothers 35 or older, there is an elevated risk that their children are born preterm (less than 37 weeks of pregnancy) or with low birth weight (less than 2.5 kilograms).

1 Jun 2017

Preterm infants have higher risk of heart failure than babies born at full term

Babies born preterm run a higher risk of heart failure during childhood and adolescence than those born at full term, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report.

22 May 2017

Woman’s gradual weight gain can increase risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy

University of Queensland research has shown that gradual weight gain during a woman's reproductive years can more than double her risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

17 May 2017

Year-round flu vaccinations for pregnant mothers benefit babies in subtropical regions

Vaccinating pregnant mothers year-round against flu in the resource-challenged region of subtropical Nepal reduced infant flu virus infection rates by an average of 30 percent, increased birth weights by 15 percent and resulted in babies having less influenza, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

16 May 2017

Breast-feeding may aid development of white matter structures in the brains of premature babies

To the growing list of reasons why mothers should consider breast-feeding infants, add another: Critical white matter structures in the brains of babies who are born so prematurely that they weigh less than 1,500 grams develop more robustly when their mothers breast-feed them, compared with preemie peers who are fed formula.

4 May 2017

Marijuana use among pregnant women linked to low birth weight infants

In a new study, researchers in London, Ontario found that women who used marijuana while pregnant were almost three times more likely to have an infant with low birth weight than women who did not use marijuana.

27 Apr 2017

Pregnant women’s financial strain linked to low-birth-weight infants

A financially strapped pregnant woman's worries about the arrival and care of her little one could contribute to birth of a smaller, medically vulnerable infant, a new study suggests.

24 Apr 2017

Non-obese Filipino Americans have higher prevalence of diabetes than non-Hispanic whites, study finds

A new study released today found that non-obese Filipino Americans aged 50 and over have a much higher prevalence of diabetes than non-Hispanic white Americans (7.6% vs. 4.3%).

20 Apr 2017

Babies with low or high birth weight may be at increased risk for developing NAFLD, study suggests

A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that children born with lower or higher weight than normal may be at increased risk for developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

18 Apr 2017

Warning signs about drinking help protect health of pregnant women

The signage varies but the message is working. Drinking by pregnant women is down 11 percent in states requiring point-of-sale warning signs, says a health economist at the University of Oregon.

18 Apr 2017

Lower-face asymmetries may help identify early life stress

Research has repeatedly confirmed that the first 1,000 days after conception strongly influence a person's life expectancy and susceptibility to chronic diseases.

13 Apr 2017

Low and high birth weights linked to severity of liver disease in children

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with a cohort of clinical collaborators from across the United States, have demonstrated the impact of low and high birth weights in developing Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), a chronic disease that often leads to a need for organ transplantation.

4 Apr 2017

Scientists develop method to track perfluorinated chemicals in the body

They are the chemicals that made consumers think twice about using nonstick cookware. New research in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters shows scientists have developed a method to track perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in the body.

29 Mar 2017

Study identifies potential risks for mothers who are cancer survivors

For young women facing a new cancer diagnosis, fertility preservation can be an important consideration in treatment planning. Now a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center-led study has identified potential risks for mothers who are cancer survivors -- risks for their newborns' health.

23 Mar 2017

Increased uric acid levels in early life may lead to high blood pressure later on

A new article published in the American Journal of Hypertension finds that very young children with increased uric acid levels had higher blood pressure at 3 years of age.

15 Mar 2017

Daily consumption of dairy products during pregnancy reduces risk of having low birth weight babies

A study led by the University of Granada has linked the consumption of dairy products (milk, fresh cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese) during pregnancy with a lower risk of having a low birth weight newborn.

9 Mar 2017

Factors contributing to childhood adiposity begin before birth, study shows

A new article, published in the journal BMC Medicine, reports the largest epigenome-wide association study to date that provides evidence that factors contributing to childhood adiposity (level of body fat) begin before birth and are influenced by mother’s lifestyle, and fetal genetic and epigenetic factors.

9 Mar 2017

High levels of folate during pregnancy may decrease hypertension risk in children

A new article published in the American Journal of Hypertension finds that babies born to mothers with cardiometabolic risk factors were less likely to develop high blood pressure if their mothers had higher levels of folate during pregnancy.

8 Mar 2017

Maternal overweight and obesity linked to increased risk of child’s cerebral palsy

Being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases the chance of having a child with cerebral palsy, according to new research led by the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

7 Mar 2017